System and method for providing remote access to telecommunications services

ABSTRACT

A system and method are provided for reviewing and updating a subscriber&#39;s telecommunications services using a graphical user interface via multiple data networks. A data message is received at an intelligent peripheral from the graphical user interface via at least one of the data networks. The data message indicates a subscriber&#39;s desired update to a selected service. The data message is converted into a protocol compatible with a service control point. The converted data message is identical to a data message that the intelligent peripheral would create if the subscriber had entered the desired update via an interactive voice response system. The converted data message is transmitted to the service control point, which updates the service in accordance with the subscriber&#39;s update. Thus, the service is updated substantially contemporaneously with the request. Moreover, the subscriber retains the ability to update and review service data via the interactive voice response.

This Application is a continuation application of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 09/619,312, filed on Jul. 19, 2000, and issued asU.S. Pat. No. 6,891,940, the disclosure of which is expresslyincorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications. Moreparticularly, the present invention relates to a Personal Call Manager,a.k.a. Personal Communications Manager (PCM) providing subscribersintegrated access to communications services through a data network,such services include a Remote Access to Caller Identification (RACLID)system. The RACLID system enables subscribers to review calleridentification information associated with incoming calls to thesubscriber's telephone line from a remote location.

2. Acronyms

The written description provided herein contains acronyms which refer tovarious telecommunications services, components and techniques, as wellas features relating to the present invention. Although some of theseacronyms are known, use of these acronyms is not strictly standardizedin the art. For purposes of the written description herein, the acronymsare defined as follows:

Advanced Intelligent Network (AIN)

Authentication/Subscription Information (ASI)

Caller Identification (Caller ID)

Customer Premises Equipment. (CPE)

Dual Tone Multi-Frequency (DTMF)

Graphical User Interface (GUI)

Generic Data Interface (GDI)

HyperText Mark-Up Language (HTML)

HyperText Transfer Language Protocol (HTTP)

Incoming Call Manager (ICM)

Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP)

Interactive Voice Response (IVR)

Java Database Conductivity (JDBC)

Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP)

Line Information Database (LIDB)

Outgoing Call Control (OCC)

Personal Computer (PC)

Personal Call Manager/Personal Communications Manager (PCM)

Personal Identification Number (PIN)

Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN)

Remote Access to Caller Identification (RACLID)

Service Management System (SMS)

Service Node (SN)

Service Switching Point (SSP)

Signaling System 7 (SS7)

Signaling Transfer Point (STP)

Terminating Attempt Trigger (TAT)

Transaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP)

Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP)

User Interface (UI)

World Wide Web (WWW)

3. Background Information

Currently, subscribers to call control services within the PublicSwitched Telephone Network (PSTN) are able to initiate and modify theirservices by calling a customer service representative or by interactingwith an Interactive Voice Response (IVR) system using a standard DualTone Multi-Frequency (DTMF) telephone device. These methods practicallylimit the number and types of services that can be provided to andmodified by the subscribers because all information pertaining to theservices is presented audibly. In addition, the potential market forsubscribers to call control services is not fully exploited because ofcustomer reluctance to use IVR systems. An additional drawback is that,conventionally, each PSTN service has a corresponding IVR interface, sothat as a customer subscribes to additional services, he or she mustkeep track of additional IVR telephone numbers and PersonalIdentification Numbers (PINs).

There have been attempts to remedy the problems associated with IVRaccess to PSTN services. These attempts incorporate use of packetswitched data networks, such as the Internet, to avoid conventional WRsystems and to streamline the initiation and modification functions. Thecurrent Internet based systems have several drawbacks, however,including the inability to ensure near real-time update of services andincompatibility with existing IVR implementations.

For many call control services, the subscribers must submit requests tothe customer service arm of their provider to initiate new services orupdate existing ones. The requests are implemented according to theprovider's time line and discretion. It is difficult for the users togauge when the service alteration will take effect. Also, because thecurrent Internet based systems operate exclusively from the conventionalIVR systems, i.e., the two systems cannot coexist, customers must selecteither the Internet interface or the IVR interface. Consequently, acustomer who has selected the Internet interface, and who is without aPC and/or Internet access, is not able to make desired changes to his orher services through an IVR. The inability to implement desired changesis especially troublesome considering that users are often interested inaltering some call services (e.g., call forwarding, paging, and callerID) when they are away from their home or business telephone and PC.

An example of call control services provided over a packet switched datanetwork is described in CHANG et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,958,016, whichteaches enabling Advanced Intelligence Network (AIN) services over theWorld Wide Web (WWW) through a provisioning system called the ServiceManagement System (SMS). The SMS as disclosed in CHANG et al., however,does not ensure near real-time data update and is not compatible withexisting IVR implementations. Therefore, the services presented via theWeb are limited in functionality to the extent near real-time dataupdates are not guaranteed. For example, if a subscriber modifies anincoming call service, which blocks calls from selected phone numbers orclasses of phone numbers, to add an allowed incoming phone number, thesubscriber will not begin immediately to receive calls from thepreviously blocked phone number. Rather, the subscriber must wait anunspecified period of time for the service to be updated via the SMS.Also, as discussed above, the Web interface and the IVR interface aremutually exclusive.

The present invention pertains to a Personal Call Manager, a.k.a. aPersonal Communications Manager (PCM) system that resolves theseproblems simply and efficiently. The PCM provides an interface totelecommunication services, such as personal directories, Incoming CallManager (ICM), Outgoing Call Control (OCC) and the like. In addition,the PCM interfaces to an improved caller identification (Caller ID)system, referred to as Remote Access to Caller Identification (RACLID).

Conventional Caller ID services provided through the PSTN necessitatethe attachment of Customer Premises Equipment (CPE) to a telephone jackcorresponding to the telephone number(s) subscribing to the Caller IDservice. The user may review a log of Caller ID information associatedwith incoming calls by physically reviewing the information displayed onthe CPE. Typically, the. Caller ID information includes the name and/ornumber of the calling party, as well as the date and time of theincoming telephone call.

A limitation of the conventional service is that, in order to review theCaller ID information, the subscriber must be present at the CPE. Itwould be advantageous, however, for subscribers to be able to reviewtheir Caller ID information remotely, e.g., at work, while commuting, onvacation, etc. Because callers do not always leave messages on ananswering device or service, which may be remotely accessible, asubscriber cannot determine through the conventional Caller ID servicewho has attempted to call until the subscriber physically returns andviews the CPE. Consequently, the conventional Caller ID system hasseveral drawbacks, including delayed awareness of incoming telephonecalls and subsequently delayed response to those calls.

Some attempts at solving these problems associated with CPE implementedCaller ID services have been presented. For example, VOIT et al., U.S.Pat. No. 5,751,707, discloses transmitting Caller ID information to aserver using GDI. Also, DANNE et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,946,381, disclosesrunning a JAVA application on a terminal to receive Caller IDinformation over the World Wide Web (WWW).

However, these attempts have several inherent disadvantages. Forinstance, in both DANNE et al. and VOIT et al., processing of thetelephone call is interrupted in order to perform the Caller IDfunction. Also, the methods provide Caller ID information only when thecall is in progress, and in the case of DANNE et al., only when the useris online and running a JAVA application. That is, the user cannotobtain the Caller ID information at his or her convenience. Finally, asignificant portion of the intelligence aspects of the DANNE et al.Caller ID system is required to be in the terminals, thus limiting thetypes of devices that can access the Caller ID information.

The present invention overcomes the problems associated with the priorart, as described below.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The present invention is further described in the detailed descriptionthat follows, by reference to the noted plurality of drawings by way ofnon-limiting examples of preferred embodiments of the present invention,in which like reference numerals represent similar parts throughoutseveral views of the drawings, and in which:

FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating system components, according toan aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a call flow diagram illustrating the process of implementingPCM, according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 2A is a call flow diagram illustrating the process of implementingPCM, according to another aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram illustrating user action in anexemplary Web-based PCM system, according to an aspect of the presentinvention;

FIG. 4 is an exemplary block diagram illustrating window navigation forbasic user actions, according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 5 is an exemplary window to be displayed at the user's PCrequesting identification of account number, according to an aspect ofthe present invention;

FIG. 6 is an exemplary PCM home page window to be displayed at theuser's PC identifying customized user options for a selected accountnumber, according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 7 is an exemplary Caller ID log window to be displayed at theuser's PC identifying caller information for a selected account number,according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 8 is a block diagram illustrating system components of the RACLIDservice, according to an aspect of the present invention;

FIG. 9 is a call flow diagram illustrating the process of implementingRACLID, according to an aspect of the present invention; and

FIG. 10 is a functional block diagram of RACLID as accessed through PCM,according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 11 is a functional block diagram of the User Interface types,according to an aspect of the present invention.

FIG. 12 is a functional block diagram of the Core PCM types, accordingto an aspect of the present invention.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF EMBODIMENTS

In view of the above, the present invention through one or more of itsvarious aspects and/or embodiments is presented to accomplish one ormore objectives and advantages, such as those noted below.

An aspect of the present invention provides a user/subscriber access toa PCM system through a communications network, including the Internetand other data networks, without excluding the possibility ofconventional IVR access. Thus, the subscriber can conveniently customizeservices managed by the PCM through a graphical user interface (GUI)that efficiently presents the complex data associated with the managedservices with minimal service provider interaction. Another aspect ofthe invention provides for updating the actual service data in the PSTNsubstantially contemporaneously with access to the service data via thePCM, permitting near real-time access to the services managed by thePCM.

In another aspect of the present invention, the PCM manages multipleservices, including, for example, Caller ID. Thus, the present inventionprovides the subscriber access to Caller ID information remotely overthe communications network in an efficient and user-friendly manner.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a method isprovided for reviewing service data relating to a subscriber'stelecommunications services using a graphical user interface. The methodincludes transmitting a data message from the subscriber to anintelligent peripheral through at least one data network, the datamessage indicating a subscriber's desire to review the service data, andconverting the data message into a protocol compatible with anintegrated service control point. The converted data message isidentical to a data message that the intelligent peripheral would createif the subscriber had indicated the desire to review the service datavia an interactive voice response system. The protocol may be theSR-3511 protocol. Then, the converted data message is transmitted to andthe service data is retrieved from the integrated service control point.The service data is forwarded to the subscriber through the intelligentperipheral. The subscriber retains the ability to review service datathrough an interactive voice response.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided forreviewing and updating a subscriber's telecommunications services usinga graphical user interface through multiple data networks, includingpresenting service data to the subscriber through the data networks andtransmitting a data message from the subscriber to an intelligentperipheral through at least one of the data networks. The data messageindicates the subscriber's desired update to a selectedtelecommunications service. The data message is converted into aprotocol compatible with an integrated service control point, whichprotocol includes the SR-3511 protocol. The converted data message isidentical to a data message that the intelligent peripheral would createif the subscriber had entered the desired update through an interactivevoice response system. Then, the converted data message is transmittedto the integrated service control point and the selectedtelecommunications service is updated in accordance with thesubscriber's desired update. The selected telecommunications service isupdated substantially contemporaneously with the subscriber requestingthe update at the graphical user interface. Also, the subscriber retainsthe ability to update and review service data through an interactivevoice response. The presentation of service data may include retrievingthe service data from a service status database, which is periodicallyupdated by the integrated service control point. This reduces trafficthrough the integrated service control point.

In a further aspect of the present invention, a method is provided foraccessing service data relating to a subscriber's telecommunicationsservices using a graphical user interface (GUT) through multiple datanetworks, and using an interactive voice response (IVR) system through apublic switched telecommunications network. The method includesproviding the subscriber with the option of accessing the service datathrough more than one interface, including the IVR system and the GUI,and the subscriber selecting either the IVR system or the GUI. Theservice data is accessed through an intelligent peripheral, whichobtains the service data from an integrated service control point. Theservice data is presented to the subscriber through the selectedinterface, so that the subscriber can access the service data throughthe IVR system or the GUI, based upon the subscriber's selection.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a system isprovided for reviewing and updating a subscriber's telecommunicationsservices using a graphical user interface through multiple datanetworks. The system includes a Web client, through which the subscriberviews service data received through the data networks and requestsservice data updates. The service data is viewed through a graphicaluser interface. The system further includes a Web server that receives adata message, which indicates a subscriber's desired update to aselected telecommunications service, transmitted from the subscriber inresponse to a service data update and an intelligent peripheral, whichreceives the data message via at least one of the data networks. Theintelligent peripheral translates the data message into a standardprotocol, which includes the SR-3511 protocol. The translated datamessage is identical to a data message that the intelligent peripheralwould create if the subscriber had entered the desired update through aninteractive voice response system. The system also includes anintegrated service control point that receives the message in thestandard protocol and updates the selected telecommunications service inaccordance with the subscriber's desired update. The selectedtelecommunications service is updated in the integrated service controlpoint substantially contemporaneously with the subscriber requesting theupdate at the graphical user interface. Furthermore, the subscriberretains the ability to update and review the service data through aninteractive voice response. The system may include a service statusdatabase from which the service data is initially retrieved, therebyreducing traffic on the integrated service control point.

In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided foraccessing caller ID data relating to a subscriber's remote access tocaller ID service using a graphical user interface (GUI). The methodincludes identifying selected telecommunications services managed by apersonal call manager account belonging to the subscriber, at least onewhich is the remote access to caller ID service. The telecommunicationsservices are presented to the subscriber at the GUI through at least onedata network. The subscriber then queries an intelligent peripheralthrough the data network indicating the subscriber's desire to accessthe remote access to caller ID service. The caller data is thenretrieved from a call logger database, which stores the caller ID data,in response to the query. The caller ID data is transmitted to thesubscriber through the data network and is displayed at the GUI.

In a still further aspect of the present invention, a method is providedfor providing caller ID information associated with a telephone callfrom a calling party to a destination, the caller ID information beingprovided over multiple networks to a subscriber at a location remotefrom the destination. The method includes storing caller ID data in acall logger database in response to the calling party placing thetelephone call to the destination. A caller ID query is received fromthe remotely located subscriber through at least one of the networks. Inresponse to the caller ID query, the caller ID data is retrieved fromthe call logger database, transmitted to the remotely located subscriberthrough at least two of the networks and displayed at the remotesubscriber's location.

The method for providing caller ID information to a subscriber at alocation remote from the telephone call destination may further includeinitially launching an AIN trigger when the calling party places thetelephone call to the destination which subscribes to a remote caller IDservice. In that case, the storing of caller ID data includestransmitting calling party information associated with the calling partyfrom an integrated service control point to a GDI server, obtainingadditional information from a directory server based upon the callingparty information and transmitting the caller ID information from theGDI server to the call logger database. The additional information canbe obtained from the directory server by either the GDI server or by theintegrated service control point, which forwards the additionalinformation to the GDI server. The caller ID information may include thecalling party information and the additional information.

The method for providing caller ID information to a subscriber at alocation remote from the telephone call destination may also includedetermining whether the subscriber has activated the remote caller IDservice. Also, at least one of the networks may be a packet switcheddata network, which may include the Internet. Also, receiving the callerID query may include receiving at a Web server the caller ID query fromthe subscriber through a Web client, so that transmitting the caller IDdata to the remotely connected subscriber includes transmitting thecaller ID data from the Web server to the web client.

In another aspect of the present invention, a system is provided forproviding caller ID information, associated with a telephone call from acalling party to a destination, to a subscriber at a location remotefrom the destination. The system includes an advanced intelligentnetwork (AIN), which includes an integrated service control point thatforwards calling party information in response to the telephone call,and a private network, which includes multiple servers in communicationwith one another. A first group of servers forwards caller IDinformation based upon the received calling party information, to a calllogger database. The system further includes a public network, includinga client which sends a caller ID query to a second group of servers. Thepublic network retrieves the caller ID information from the call loggerdatabase and sends the caller ID information to the client. Thesubscriber can view the caller ID information while being locatedremotely from the destination of the telephone call associated with thecaller ID information. The public network may be the Internet and theclient may be a Web browser.

According to another aspect of the present invention, a system isprovided for providing caller ID information, associated with atelephone call from a calling party to a destination, to a subscriber ata location remote from the destination. The system includes a switch,associated with the destination, that receives the telephone call fromthe calling party. The switch has an AIN trigger set to launch a queryin response to the telephone call. The system further includes anintegrated service control point that forwards calling party informationin response to the query and an interface server that obtains additionalinformation from a directory server, based upon the received callingparty information. The caller ID information includes the additionalinformation and the calling party information. The system furtherincludes a call logger database that receives the caller ID informationfrom the interface server and stores the caller ID information. Thesystem also includes a Web client that forwards a caller ID query fromthe subscriber and a Web server that receives the caller ID query fromthe Web client over the Internet and, in response to the query,retrieves the caller ID data from the call logger database and forwardsthe caller ID data to the Web client for display to the subscriber. Thesubscriber can view the caller ID information while being locatedremotely from the destination of the telephone call associated with thecaller ID information.

The present invention is an AIN based system and method that allows aPCM subscriber connected to a communications network, including theInternet and other packet switched type data networks, as well asthrough conventional IVR systems, to customize and execute servicesassociated with telephonic communications, with near real-time access tothe service data. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary telecommunicationsnetwork (e.g., PSTN) in association with the present invention. Thenetwork includes a calling party 20, an originating Service SwitchingPoint (SSP) 21, a terminating SSP 24 and a subscriber's telephone (i.e.,the destination) 25. The network also includes a Signaling TransferPoint (STP) 22, an Integrated Service Control Point (ISCP) 23 and anAdvanced Intelligent Network-Intelligent Peripheral (AIN-IP orintelligent peripheral) 40. The intelligent peripheral 40 includes aninteractive voice response (IVR) system. By way of example, the ISCP 23may be implemented with the Bellcore Integrated Service Control Point,loaded with ISCP software Version 4.4 (or higher), available fromTelecordia, Murray Hill, N.J.

A data network includes a Web client 30, a Web server 43, anAuthentication/Subscription Information Server 42 and a Service StatusDatabase 41. The data network communicates to the PSTN (specifically theISCP 23) through the intelligent peripheral 40 using the SR-3511protocol 46, or an equivalent protocol.

The user is able to access the intelligent peripheral 40 through the Webserver 43, which is in communication with the Internet 44 or otherpacket switched data network. The user is alternatively able to accessthe intelligent peripheral 40 through the IVR system 45 using aconventional DTMF telephone connection. When using the Internet, theuser accesses the Web server 43 with a PC, acting as a Web client 30,using software such as ICW Client, available from Southwestern BellTelephone Company. The Web client may likewise incorporate a Webbrowser, such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, available from MicrosoftCorporation, or Netscape Navigator. In one embodiment, the Web client 30is implemented with an IBM Pentium based computer, running the Linux orMicrosoft Windows operating system and the Microsoft Internet Explorer,Netscape Navigator or Hotjava, available from Sun Microsystems, Inc.,Web browser software. An embodiment of the invention with respect to theWeb server 43 may include running the Linux or Microsoft Windowsoperating system and the Apache Web server software, available from theApache Software Foundation, or the Jigsaw Web server software, availablefrom World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).

The SSP 24 is the terminating central office (CO) for the PCM subscriber25 and the SSP 21 is the originating CO for the calling party 20.However, the terminating CO and the originating CO may be the same. TheSSPs 21 and 24 may comprise, for example, 1AESS or 5ESS switchesmanufactured by Lucent Technologies, Inc., or DMS-100 switchesmanufactured by Nortel Networks Corporation (Nortel), or AXE-10 switchesmanufactured by Telefonaktiebolaget LM Ericsson.

The 1AESS switches may use an AIN Release 0.1 protocol and should beequipped with Generic 1AE13.01 (or higher) software and associated AINSSP features. The SESS switches may utilize an AIN Release 0.1 protocoland should be equipped with Generic 5E12 (or higher) software andassociated AIN SSP features. The DMS-100 switches (release NA009) mayutilize an AIN Release 0.1 protocol and associated AIN SSP features. TheAXE-10 switches may utilize an AIN Release 0.1 protocol and should beequipped with Generic 8.07 (or higher) software and associated AIN SSPfeatures. The call service logic of the present invention may beupgraded to accommodate future AIN releases and protocols and futuretrigger types. Specifications of AIN Release 0.1 SSPs may be found inBellcore TR-NWT-001285, Switch-Service Control Point ApplicationProtocol Interface Generic Requirements, the disclosure of which isexpressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.

FIG. 2 is an exemplary call flow diagram depicting a subscriber usingthe PCM service. Initially, the subscriber accesses a public packetswitched data network, such as the Internet, from a Web client 30, usinga Web browser such as Microsoft Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator orHotJava. Once on the Internet, the subscriber connects to the Web server43, which serves as a secure access platform. The Web server 43 receivesHyperText Transfer Language Protocol (HTTP) messages from the Web client30 and provides HyperText Mark-Up Language (HTML) Web pages in responseto the subscriber's input-to the Web client 30. The Web pages relate tothe subscriber's PCM account.

Once connected to the Web server 43, the user must first log-in to thePCM account, also depicted at block 301 in FIG. 3 and described below.The log-in equates to an authentication of the user. To perform theauthentication, the Web server 43 contacts theAuthentication/Subscription Information (ASI) Server 42, which confirmsthat the subscriber is an authorized user by verifying at least thesubscriber's name and a password. The ASI Server 42 also provides to theWeb server 43 a list of the services to which the user has subscribed inthe PCM account. Services for each phone number are linked to the PCMaccount through the ASI Server 42.

The Web server 43 then retrieves from the ISCP 23, via the intelligentperipheral 40, current service data and the related status of thevarious services managed through the PCM account. The data and status ofthe services, i.e., service data, is forwarded to the Web client 30 anddisplayed as seen for example in FIG. 6, discussed in detail below.

In another embodiment, depicted in FIG. 2A, the Web server 43 retrievesfrom a Service Status Database 41 the data and status of the variousservices managed through the PCM account, rather than from the ISCP 23,directly. This database serves as a cache for the service information inthe ISCP 23. The Service Status Database 41 contains information currentto the most recent update interface with the ISCP 23. The cachearrangement enables the user to efficiently access this informationwithout waiting for the ISCP 23 to process the request. At the sametime, it reduces ISCP traffic. The Service Status Database 41 isrefreshed periodically to ensure currency, as well as pursuant tospecific command by the user. This database is a conventionalLightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), such as the LDAP availablefrom Lucent Technologies, Inc. In the alternative, the database may be astandard relational database, such as those available from OracleCorporation or Sybase, Inc.

Upon review of the service status, the user may choose to interact withone or all of the available services. When the user selects a desiredservice, a message is sent to the Web server 43, which responds with thecorresponding service screen. When the user selects a particular servicenecessitating access to the PSTN (e.g., OCC or ICM), the request is sentto the intelligent peripheral 40. Significantly, this is the sameintelligent peripheral that implements IVR access to the user's servicesthrough a conventional PSTN. In alternative embodiments, the intelligentperipheral may be an IBM Resource Manager or a Lucent PacketINApplication Server. The intelligent peripheral internally translatesdata messages received from the Web server 43 and accesses the relevantcall services data from the ISCP 23 through the SR-3511 protocol, use ofwhich enables the simultaneous compatibility with IVR functions. Detailsof the SR-3511 protocol are provided in Bellcore, Recommendation SR-3511ISCP Intelligent Peripheral (IP) Interface Specification for TCP/IP,Version 5.0 (January 1997), the disclosure of which is expresslyincorporated by reference herein in its entirety. In one embodiment, thetranslation program is in C, C++ or JAVA. The intelligent peripheral 40then transmits a summary of the requested service, based on informationfrom the ISCP 23, to the Web server 43.

At this point, the user may choose to update or to simply review theservice information. When the service is updated, the Web server 43sends the update instructions in a data message to the intelligentperipheral 40. The intelligent peripheral then translates the updateinstruction into the SR-3511 protocol and. communicates the updatedservice parameters directly to the ISCP 23.

For example, one available service is Incoming Call Manager (ICM), bywhich the user may prioritize, forward, preview or block selectedtelephone numbers. In the update procedure, the user enters a telephonenumber to be blocked, for instance, which the Web server 43 communicatesto the intelligent peripheral 40. The intelligent peripheral, in turn,sends the data via SR-3511 to the ISCP 23, which flags the number to beblocked. Because the intelligent peripheral's instructions to the ISCP23 are sent and implemented immediately, without the involvement of theprovider's account management or customer service, the changes to theservice are operable and available shortly after the user sends theinstructions. In an embodiment that includes the Service Status Database41, the cache will then be updated in due course to reflect the updatedinformation in the ISCP 23.

FIG. 3 depicts the procedure followed by the subscriber when firstentering the PCM Web site. The subscriber must first log-in at block301. Assuming the subscriber's PCM account has already been established,as described below, he or she must provide the authentication data toproceed. The authentication data is entered at a log-in screen, anexample of which is depicted in FIG. 4 at screen 401. To maintain theintegrity of the secure platform, authentication requires preferably auser ID and a password. The user ID is any name, not necessarily uniquewithin the PCM system, selected at account initiation by the subscriber.The password is confidential (at the subscriber's discretion) and mustbe unique with respect to the associated user ID. The subscriber maychange the password as desired, but appropriate authentication data mustbe provided prior to such changes. If the subscriber enters an invaliduser ID or password, the Web server 43 responds with a messageexplaining the problem and allows another chance to enter correct data.

After the subscriber is authenticated, the subscriber proceeds to enterthe PCM at block 302. At this time, the user views a generalinformational screen 402, which is formatted at the discretion of theservice provider. It may include, by way of example, new servicesoffered to the subscriber. After the subscriber elects to proceed intothe PCM, the Web server 43 navigates to a page 404 that displaystelephone numbers associated with the PCM account(s) to which the userbelongs and to which the user is authorized to access. FIG. 5 depicts anexemplary screen displaying phone numbers to which the user has access.At this point, the user selects a telephone number at block 303 and thecorresponding services are displayed for the selected telephone numberat screen 403. The user may then elect to implement the various servicesin place for a particular phone number or, depending on the user'sprivileges within a particular account, such as a superuser or a PCMuser (described later), to manage the PCM account.

If the PCM has more than one associated telephone number, the user wouldsee a Web page listing the numbers, as in block 404 of FIG. 4. Thescreen has user interface elements that allow the user to select one ofthe numbers. Thus, each PCM account keeps track of a nonempty set ofphone numbers to be managed through the PCM on behalf of thecorresponding set of users, presumably members of a family, business,organization or other group.

After the user selects a phone number at block 303, the system displaysfor the user a PCM summary page 304 corresponding to the selectedtelephone number. The PCM summary page displays only data the user isauthorized to see for the selected telephone number. As shown at screen403, the PCM summary provides various options to the user, including byway of example, selecting from among listed services 306-309, returningto select an alternative PCM telephone number or exiting PCM altogether313.

FIG. 6 shows an exemplary PCM summary display, which corresponds toscreen 403 of FIG. 4, entitled Personal Call Manager Home Page foraccount number (512) 555-5831, which is the selected telephone number inthe example. FIG. 6 shows four services accessible through the PCM,although the four services are not intended to be limiting. That is, thePCM is able to administer any call services associated with an ISCP 23.The services depicted in the PCM summary screen 403, as well as in FIG.6, are Caller ID Log 601, Message Center 602, Incoming Call Manager(ICM) 603 and Outgoing Call Control (OCC) 604. The displayed informationis summary in fashion, the details being available to the user throughselection of one of the available services, which displays a PCM Servicescreen 405. In the depicted embodiment, the summary as well as thedetailed data is provided through the Web server 43 from the ISCP 23 ora Call Logger Database 95 (shown in FIG. 8 and discussed in detailbelow), depending on the service selected. At the summary screen, theCaller ID Log 601 retrieves data from the Call Logger Database 95 andshows, for example, the number of call records added since the lastreview and the Message Center 602 likewise retrieves data from the CallLogger Database 95 and shows the number of new call notes, e-mails,wireless calls, faxes and messages reviewed. The ICM 603 retrieves datafrom the ISCP 23 and shows the status of the call blocker, callforwarding, priority call and caller preview features and an Outgoing(OCC) summary retrieves data from the ISCP 23 and shows whetherinternational calls, long distance calls, 900/976 numbers and/ordirectory assistance calls are restricted.

From the PCM summary screen, the user may choose to use PCM to manageany of the displayed services, indicated at block 305, FIG. 3. This isdone by simply clicking on one of the display boxes 601-604 of FIG. 6 tocause the Web server to display a new Web page corresponding to theselected service. Or, the PCM summary page includes a list of thepersonal services 605, which duplicates the display boxes. In addition,the list 605 may include additional personal services that do notrequire interaction with the ISCP 23. These services include, forexample, a personal directory, paging capability and billing review.

The paging capability provides the option of paging the subscriber whena Caller ID is received from a subscriber specified phone number. Pagingmay include a page, a wireless short message, an email, or a generatedphone call to a specified number. Moreover, Caller ID logs can becollected and paged to the subscriber at periodic intervals with summaryand/or detailed information.

After selection of one of the services, the Web server navigates to anddisplays the selected services Web page, indicated by blocks 306-309,and displays the corresponding service screen 405. For example, if theuser selects the Caller ID service, a Web page as exemplified in FIG. 7(described later) is displayed. The user may review information,activate or deactivate the service or change the scope of the service,as desired, in accordance with the level of access available to thatuser. After accessing one of the available services, the user may returnto the PCM summary page at block 310. This can be done by selecting aspecific option to return or by simply clicking the BACK icon providedby the Web browser. The user may also exit PCM at block 313, ending thecurrent session.

In one embodiment of the invention, a Remote Access CallerIdentification (RACLID) service is offered as one of the servicesavailable to the user. The RACLID service permits subscribers to accesstheir Caller ID data when they do not have access to customer premisesequipment, such as their Caller ID box. Conventional implementation ofCaller ID presupposes delivery over the subscriber's telephone line to aCaller ID box attached to that line. According to the invention, theCaller ID data is delivered via the data networks (including, forexample, the Internet) to the subscriber. Where RACLID is available andincorporated into the PCM, it is specifically listed as one of theselectable services at the PCM Summary page 403.

As in the case of the other services in PCM, the subscriber can reviewcaller data using RACLID from any location with networking facilitiesthat allows connection to the data network on which the Caller ID datais stored. The networking facilities would include the Internet, acorporate intranet or other TCP/IP network. Also, RACLID may be providedwithout PCM.

FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary telecommunications network inassociation with an embodiment of the RACLID service. The networkincludes the calling party 20, the SSP 24, the ISCP 23 and a BellcoreGeneric Data Interface (GDI) client 91. The RACLID service does notnecessarily depend on the intelligent peripheral 40 incorporated intoPCM.

Outside the PSTN network, the RACLID service requires multiple serversand databases, also depicted in FIG. 9. These elements include a GDIserver 92, a directory server 93, a Web server 43 and a Call LoggerDatabase 95. Generally speaking, the GDI server 92 interfaces with theGDI client 91, facilitating communication between the PSTN and theRACLID networks. The directory server 93 contains information stored bythe RACLID provider, including data associated with the accessibleuniverse of telephone numbers, regardless of whether they are associatedwith RACLID subscribers. It also stores authentication datacorresponding to RACLID subscribers. In an embodiment of the invention,the directory server 93 can be incorporated into the AIS server 42,which contains authentication data corresponding to PCM in general. Inanother embodiment, the information stored at the directory server 93may be incorporated into the Web server 43. The Web server 43 connectsthe subscriber through the Web client 30 via a data network 44, such asthe Internet, and conducts the various interactive operations withRACLID. In alternative embodiments, the Web client 30 is implementedwith an IBM Pentium based computer running the Linux or MicrosoftWindows operating system and a Web browser, such as Microsoft InternetExplorer or Netscape Navigator. The Call Logger Database 95 containsdata associated with specific RACLID accounts. In an embodiment of theinvention, the Call Logger Database can be incorporated into the ServiceStatus Database 41.

Referring to FIG. 9, the RACLID system is initiated by an AINTerminating Attempt Trigger (TAT) launched by the SSr 24 whenever a callis placed by the call originator 20 to a RACLID subscriber's phone 25.Once the trigger has been assigned and activated, every call terminatingto the PCM subscriber's line will cause the SSP 24 to launch a TAT queryvia the existing Signaling System 7 (SS7) network (and appropriate STP22) to the ISCP 23. The SSP 24 is the terminating central office for theRACLID subscriber. The TAT is assigned to the RACLID subscriber'sdirectory number or line, depending upon the type of switch.Significantly, the call is not suspended at the switch during executionof the RACLID process. Rather, the call completes in a normal fashion.

Once the ISCP 23 receives the TAT query from the SSP 24, the ISCP 23must interface with the private network, which functions separately fromthe PSTN. In an embodiment of-the invention, the interface between theISCP 23 and the private network is the Bellcore Generic Data Interface(GDI) 91 for TCP/IP. This interface provides the capability tosend/receive transactions to and from external systems over TCP/IP usingTransaction Capabilities Application Part (TCAP) messages. The ISCP 23can therefore generate messages to get data, send data or invoke anapplication (InvokeApp) to a GDI server 92.

In an embodiment of the invention, the ISCP 23 sends the InvokeAppmessage to the GDI server 92. The InvokeApp message includes the callingparty number, the called number and the current date and time. Byinvoking a server external to the PSTN, the ISCP may continue processingthe call without having to wait on execution of the RACLID service.

When the GDI server 92 receives the InvokeApp message from the ISCP 23,it first determines whether the subscriber has activated the RACLIDservice. This avoids unnecessary processing time in the event the RACLIDservice is OFF. The GDI server 92 accomplishes this by querying the CallLogger Database 95, which contains an ON/OFF indicator dedicated to thesubscriber's account. To activate the system, the subscriber accessesthe Web server 43 by means of the Web client 30. The Web server 43 inturn accesses the Call Logger Database 95. The subscriber selects the ONoption to activate the RACLID service, which then remains active untilthe subscriber accesses the Call Logger Database 95 and selects the OFFoption. The subscriber may perform the ON/OFF commands through any meansof access to the Web, as opposed to being limited to the phone numberassociated with the RACLID account. Note also that any conventionalCaller ID system using customer premises equipment, such as a Caller IDbox, by the same subscriber is unaffected by the ON/OFF command directedto the RACLID service.

The servers and database communicate with one another using JavaDatabase Conductivity (JDBC), although any appropriate interface may beused. Also, alternative embodiments of the invention combine the variousserver and database functions into any combination of systems, includinga single server. With respect to subscriber access to the system, thecommunication between the Web server 43 and the Web client 30 uses HTTP,although any appropriate interface may be used.

Once the GDI server 92 detects the active or ON status, it proceeds tocontact the directory database server 93 to retrieve the calling party'sname associated with the telephone number provided by the ISCP 23. In anembodiment, the directory database server 93 is a Line InformationDatabase (LIDB) server. The LIDB server is maintained independently ofthe PSTN and updated appropriately by the service provider to assureprovision of current information. The invention may include anycomparable server, however, including a Lucent LDAP server. After thecalling party name is retrieved from the LIDB, the GDI server 92 thenprovides the calling party's name, along with the caller data providedby the ISCP 23, including the calling party's number, the called number,the call date and the call time (collectively referred to as Caller IDinformation), to the Call Logger Database 95, where it is stored forlater retrieval.

In an alternative embodiment (not pictured), the ISCP 23 contacts thedirectory database server 93 directly to retrieve the calling party'sname associated with the calling party's telephone number. The ISCP 23then sends the calling party's name to the GDI server 92, along with thecalling party's number, the called number and the current date and timein the InvokeApp message. The GDI server 92 then provides this Caller IDinformation to the Call Logger Database 95, where it is stored for laterretrieval. Although obtaining the information from the directorydatabase server 93 somewhat more efficiently, this embodiment requiresadditional work by the ISCP 23.

In order to retrieve the Caller ID information from the Call LoggerDatabase 95, the subscriber simply accesses the Web server 43 onceagain, through any means of access to the Web, and enters authenticationdata at the log-in. Assuming the subscriber is running the PCM, he orshe then selects the RACLID option from the PC-M Summary Web page 801 ofFIG. 10, which is a block diagram of the various functions available toa typical user at the RACLID service Web page, discussed further below.

Alterative embodiments of the invention do not require specificincorporation of the PCM. For example, one embodiment enables RACLIDsubscribers, including those who do not necessarily have PCM, to godirectly to a RACLID dedicated home page, which would be substantiallysimilar in appearance to that depicted in FIG. 7.

Next, the Web server 43 receives the log-in information from the Webclient 30 and queries the directory server 93 to retrieve authenticationdata corresponding to the user account. The authentication data includesa user identification and a password. The user identification is anyname, not necessarily unique within the RACLID system, determined by thesubscriber. In one embodiment, the user identification and passwordcorrespond to the user identification and password of the PCM. The Webserver 43 then requests input of the authentication data from thesubscriber and compares the input data with the directory server data todetermine a match.

After authentication, the Web server 43 processes the commands enteredby the subscriber. Available commands are depicted in FIG. 10 in theCall Log 802. One command sent automatically upon logging onto theRACLID service is the request data command, pursuant to which the Webserver 43 retrieves all stored caller information from the Call LoggerDatabase 95, including the calling party's name and corresponding phonenumber and the date and time the call was placed. This information isdisplayed as indicated, for example, in FIG. 7.

Another command is the delete data command 810, pursuant to which theWeb server 43 removes the stored Caller ID information associated with aselected calling party from the Call Logger Database 95. If no deletecommand is executed by the subscriber, the Caller ID information staysin the Call Logger Database 95 and will continue to be retrievedpursuant to further request data commands until a delete command is sentor until some predetermined drop time expires, for example, 30 days. Inone embodiment, the drop time may be adjusted by the subscriber.

Other interactive commands, shown in FIG. 10, include the delete allcommand 806 and the refresh display command 805 for the subscriber'sconvenience. Pursuant to the delete all command, the Web server 43erases from the Call Logger Database 95 the Caller ID informationcurrently and displayed. Pursuant to the refresh display command, theWeb server 43 queries the Call Logger Database 95 with an updatedrequest data command, which would retrieve any caller informationreceived after execution of the previous request data command. TheON/OFF switch 803 is also provided on the display Web page toactivate/deactivate the RACLID service.

In the PCM environment, RACLID data may be used to accommodate otheroptional services. For example, the Directory Entry service 807 of FIG.10, when selected by the user, automatically deposits name and telephonenumber information in the user's personal directory. In an alternateembodiment, the data may populate data in a PDA, e.g., a 3Com PalmPilot. The Voice Over Internet 808 automatically places a call to theselected telephone number over the existing network connection. The usercan also select the return to PCM Summary option 811 to access otherservices.

In addition to accessing the various services, the user may elect atblock 302 of FIG. 3 to manage his or her PCM account(s). This processbegins by selecting PCM account management at block 311 and implementingmanagement instructions at block 312. The extent to which this can bedone depends on the user's privileges.

In an embodiment of the invention, a user's interaction with the PCM, aswell as the functionality of the PCM, is implemented withobject-oriented programming, the terminology of which incorporates“classes” and “types.” A class is a programming construct for definingthe implementation of objects (e.g. users, telephone numbers, andservices) that have the same sort of data and procedures. A typespecifies the properties of a set of objects without reference toimplementation. A type therefore can be implemented as many differentclasses. A type can also be implemented as a C++ class or as a JAVAclass, and it can even be implemented in multiple ways within the samelanguage.

An important consequence of the difference between types and classes isthat an attribute in a type definition may or may not be implemented asan instance variable in a class. A type's attributes representinformation that can be known about the type's instances without statinghow that information is obtained. An attribute in a type can beimplemented as an instance variable. The attribute can also beimplemented as a method that computes the attribute real-time. Anotherconsequence of the difference between classes and types is that asubclass is not the same as a subtype. A subclass can both extend andoverride characteristics of the class from which it is derived. Incontrast, a subtype can never override the supertype; it only extendsthe supertype.

Applying this terminology to invention, the PCM software includes avariety of types and subtypes for implementation and execution. The coreof the PCM system is the user interface (UI) type 1100, shown in FIG.11. Associated with each instance of UI 1100 is a User object 1102 thatrepresents the user currently interacting with it. The UI 1100 alsoincludes a reference to the object it displays and manipulates, i.e. itsmodel. This object is a type UIModel 1101, a type from which specificmodel types 1105 are derived. A Presentation object 1103 associated withthe UI 1100 enables the presentation of the model to the user.Presentations are composed of UIEElements 1104, which may be HTML 1106(for Web pages), WML 1108 (for WAP terminals), or IvrElements 1107 (forIVRs).

Additional PCM types are depicted in FIG. 12. In one embodiment of theinvention, users are placed into one of multiple subtypes of User 1102,including webmaster (not pictured), superuser (not pictured) and PcmUser1205. The webmaster, who is associated with the PCM provider, createsthe PCM accounts and has access to the administrative facilities of thePCM network, including all PCM accounts and associated administrativefacilities. A superuser is a user who has read and write privileges inthe account. A superuser can therefore alter or customize the PCMaccount and the services managed by that account. This includescontrolling the scope of access by other users (except the webmaster).Each PCM account must have at least one superuser.

Each PcmUser 1205 has one or more PCM accounts, each of which comprisesat least one phone number, but has read only privileges with respect toeach account. In other words, a PcmUser is not authorized to customizethe PCM account or otherwise alter the various services, although thePcmUser 1205 can review data in the various services andactivate/deactivate these services.

Administrative interaction with the PCM account uses PcmAccount 1202operations, which include for example setName, setID, setSuperUser,addUser, removeUser, addPhoneNumber, removePhoneNumber, addService andremoveService, which enable the account to be defined. Management of aPCM account includes creating the account. To do so, the subscriber mustprovide necessary personal information to the PCM service provider inexchange for the unique log-in ID and-name. The webmaster initiates theaccount using the setName and setID operations, respectively. The ID isessentially the password and therefore must differ from every other PCMaccount ID known to the system. The name, however, need not benecessarily unique.

In its initial state, a PCM account is additionally assigned a superuset(usually the subscriber), a set of authorized users (initiallyconsisting only of the account superuser), a personal directory for thesuperuser and a set of one or more associated phone numbers. Thewebmaster sets the initial PCM account superuser using the setSuperUseroperation. The superuser must be a member of the account and, as statedabove; has read and write privileges to the account. Either thewebmaster or the account superuser can then add new users to the accountif a new user is not already a member using the addUser operation. Afteran operation adding a user is complete, the PCM account and the new userwill cross reference each other in the attributes of User 1102 andPcmAccount 1202, which information is stored in the ASI server 42 in oneembodiment.

This operation does not provide the new user access to any of theaccount telephone numbers, which is performed separately under anAddPhoneNumber operation on a phone number by phone number basis. Thisdata is likewise stored at the ASI server 42. Both the webmaster and thesuperuser provide access to the specified phone number within the PCMaccount. The telephone number and user must already belong to theaccount.

The webmaster or the superuser can likewise remove a user from anaccount if the user is already a member of the account using theremoveUser operation. The user to be removed cannot be the account'ssuperuser. After the operation completes, the cross-references in theattributes of User 1102 and PcmAccount 1202 are eliminated and alltelephone number access privileges are revoked.

The webmaster can add a telephone number to a PCM account if that phonenumber is not already in the account. Again, after the operationcompletes, the account and the new phone number will have references toeach other in the attributes of User 1102 and PcmAccount 1202 stored atthe AIS Server 42. The added phone number will necessarily include theaccount's superuser in its list of allowed users. The webmaster canlikewise remove a phone number from a PCM account if that phone numberalready belongs to the account using the removePhoneNumber operation.After the operation completes, neither the account nor the telephonenumber have references to each other in attributes of User 1102 andPcmAccount 1202.

The webmaster can perform other functions in the PCM account, as well.For example, the webmaster can add a service to a telephone number in anaccount if that service is not already present on that phone number. Thewebmaster can likewise remove a service from a phone number in anaccount. Also, the webmaster can add or remove a personal directory tothe account.

The type PhoneNumber 1203 represents a phone number that can be accessedand managed through the PCM. Every phone number must have an associatedlist of allowed users, including at least the account's superuser.Likewise, every user allowed access to a phone number must be a memberof the PCM account to which the phone number belongs. A user who hasbeen granted PCM access to a phone number can retrieve a summary userinterface of information about the services associated with that number.

The PcmService 1206 represents a service associated with a specificphone number that can be managed through the PCM. Specific services arerepresented by subtypes derived from PcmService, including RACLID 1208,ICM 1209, OCC 1210, etc. As stated above, the webmaster can create a newinstance of a PCM service, give it a name and associate it with a phonenumber. That phone number adds the service to its set of associatedservices at PhoneNumber 1203. The new service has only one user, thesuperuser, with which it is associated. That user is given read-writeprivileges. However, the webmaster and the superuser can add other usersto the account and give read-only or read-write privileges to a serviceassociated with the account.

ProviderWeb 1201 is a type that represents the service provider's Weband its administrative facility. The webmaster aid logged in users areknown to the provider Web. In its initial state, ProviderWeb 1201 has nousers other than the webmaster. The webmaster can add a new user if thatuser does not already exist. The webmaster can also remove an existinguser from ProviderWeb 1201 if that user is not currently logged in. Thewebmaster can also suspend and reactive users. Of course, a user whoprovides the proper log-in ID can log into ProviderWeb 1201, so long asthe user is not already logged in or suspended. ProviderWeb 1201performs periodic housekeeping, during which it logs out users who havebeen inactive too long, except for the webmaster. In an embodiment ofthe invention, a dime threshold for inactivity may be 30 days.

When a PCM user first enters the PCM, he or she is presented with thephone numbers they are authorized to manage under the PCM account, asdiscussed above. From these phone numbers, the PCM user selects onephone number to manage invoking SelectTnUI, which is a subtype of UIthat handles the specifics of phone number selection. Its associatedmodel is the set of PCM phone numbers from which the user selects thedesired phone number. After the PCM user selects a phone number, thesystem presents a summary page including information about the activeservices associated with the selected phone number. PcmSummaryUI is asubtype of UI that handles the specifics of the PCM summary display. Itsassociated model is the user's currently selected phone number.

At this point the user selects the PCM service he or she wishes toexecute. The various services that can be managed through the PCM arerepresented by subtypes of PcmService, identified above. For eachsubtype, the user must have read and write or read only privileges tothe particular service. The data retrieved from the service is formattedfor the medium with which the user is currently accessing the PCM.

Although the invention has been described with reference to severalexemplary embodiments, it is understood that the words that have beenused are words of description and illustration, rather than words oflimitation. Changes may be made within the purview of the appendedclaims, as presently stated and as amended, without departing from thescope and spirit of the invention in its aspects. Although the inventionhas been described with reference to particular means, materials andembodiments, the invention is not intended to be limited to theparticulars disclosed; rather, the invention extends to all functionallyequivalent structures, methods, and uses such as are within the scope ofthe appended claims.

In accordance with various embodiments of the present invention, themethods described herein are intended for operation as software programsrunning on a computer processor. Dedicated hardware implementationsincluding, but not limited to, application specific integrated circuits,programmable logic arrays and other hardware devices can likewise beconstructed to implement the methods described herein. Furthermore,alternative software implementations including, but not limited to,distributed processing or component/object distributed processing,parallel processing, or virtual machine processing can also beconstructed to implement the methods described herein.

It should also be noted that the software implementations of the presentinvention as described herein are optionally stored on a tangiblestorage medium, such as: a magnetic medium such as a disk or tape; amagneto-optical or optical medium such as a disk; or a solid statemedium such as a memory card or other package that houses one or moreread-only (non-volatile) memories, random access memories, or otherre-writable (volatile) memories. A digital file attachment to email orother self-contained information archive or set of archives isconsidered a distribution medium equivalent to a tangible storagemedium. Accordingly, the invention is considered to include a tangiblestorage medium or distribution medium, as listed herein and includingart-recognized equivalents and successor media, in which the softwareimplementations herein are stored.

Although the present specification describes components and functionsimplemented in the embodiments with reference to particular standardsand protocols, the invention is not limited to such standards andprotocols. Each of the standards for Internet and other packet switchednetwork transmission (e.g., TCP/IP, UDP/IP, HTML, SHTML, DHTML, XML,PPP, FTP, SMTP, MIME); peripheral control (IrDA; RS232C; USB; ISA; ExCA;PCMCIA), and public telephone networks (ISDN, ATM, xDSL) representexamples of the state of the art. Such standards are periodicallysuperseded by faster or more efficient equivalents having essentiallythe same functions. Accordingly, replacement standards and protocolshaving the same functions are considered equivalents.

1. A method for reviewing service data relating to a subscriber'stelecommunications services using a graphical user interface, the methodcomprising: receiving a data message from the subscriber at anintelligent peripheral via at least one data network, the data messageindicating a subscriber's desire to review the service data; convertingthe data message into a protocol compatible with a network controller,the converted data message being identical to a data message that theintelligent peripheral would create if the subscriber had indicated thedesire to review the service data via an interactive voice responsesystem; transmitting the converted data message to the networkcontroller; retrieving the service data from the network controller; andforwarding the service data to the subscriber via the intelligentperipheral, wherein the subscriber retains the ability to review servicedata via an interactive voice response system.
 2. The method of claim 1,wherein the protocol comprises SR-3511.
 3. The method of claim 1,wherein the at least one data network comprises a packet switched datanetwork.
 4. A method for reviewing and updating a subscriber'stelecommunications services using a graphical user interface via aplurality of data networks, the method comprising: presenting servicedata to the subscriber at the graphical user interface via at least oneof the plurality of data networks; receiving a data message from thegraphical user interface at an intelligent peripheral via at least oneof the data networks, the data message indicating a desired update to aselected telecommunications service; converting the data message into aprotocol compatible with a service control point, the converted datamessage being identical to a data message that the intelligentperipheral would create if the desired update had been received via aninteractive voice response system; transmitting the converted datamessage to the service control point; and updating the selectedtelecommunications service in accordance with the desired update,wherein the selected telecommunications service is updated substantiallycontemporaneously with the update being received from the graphical userinterface, and wherein the subscriber retains the ability to update andreview service data via the interactive voice response system.
 5. Themethod of claim 4, wherein the presenting further comprises retrievingthe service data from a service status database, which is periodicallyupdated by the service control point, wherein traffic to the servicecontrol point is reduced.
 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the protocolcomprises SR-3511.
 7. The method of claim 4, wherein the at least one ofthe plurality of data networks comprises a packet switched data network.8. The method of claim 7, wherein the packet switched data networkcomprises the Internet.
 9. The method of claim 7, wherein theinteractive voice response system is accessible via a public switchedtelephone network.
 10. A method for accessing service data relating to asubscriber's advanced intelligent network (AIN) telecommunicationsservices using a graphical user interface (GUI) via a plurality of datanetworks, and using an interactive voice response (IVR) system via apublic switched telecommunications network, the method comprising:providing the subscriber with an option of accessing the service datathrough a plurality of interfaces including the IVR system and the GUI;selecting one of the IVR system and the GUI; accessing the service datavia an intelligent peripheral, the intelligent peripheral obtaining theservice data from a service control point; and presenting the servicedata to the subscriber via the selected interface, wherein thesubscriber can access the service data via the IVR system and via theGUI based upon the subscriber's selection.
 11. A system for reviewingand updating a subscriber's telecommunications services via a pluralityof data networks, the system comprising: a web client through which thesubscriber views service data received via the data networks, andthrough which the subscriber requests service data updates, the servicedata being displayed at a graphical user interface; a web server thatreceives a data message transmitted from the subscriber in response to aservice data update, the data message indicating a subscriber's desiredupdate to a selected telecommunications service; an intelligentperipheral that receives the data message via at least one of the datanetworks, the intelligent peripheral translating the data message into astandard protocol, the translated data message being identical to a datamessage that the intelligent peripheral would create if the subscriberhad entered the desired update via an interactive voice response system;and a network controller that receives the message in the standardprotocol, the controller updating the selected telecommunicationsservice in accordance with the subscriber's desired update, wherein theselected telecommunications service is updated in the controllersubstantially contemporaneously with the subscriber requesting theupdate at the graphical user interface, and wherein the subscriberretains the ability to update and review the service data via aninteractive voice response system.
 12. The system of claim 11, whereinthe network controller comprises a service control point.
 13. The systemof claim 12, wherein the protocol comprises SR-3511.
 14. The system ofclaim 12, further comprising: a service status database from which theservice data is initially retrieved, whereby service control pointtraffic is reduced.
 15. The system of claim 11, wherein the web serverreceives the data message transmitted from the subscriber via a packetswitched data network.
 16. The system of claim 15, wherein the packetswitched data network comprises the Internet.